This week, April 16 through
21, is Earth Week, a national campaign to promote awareness
of and appreciation for the environment of our planet through
sustainable living and responsible use of natural resources.

At Smith, Earth Week is taking
the form of several educational and entertaining events throughout
the week, organized by the student Green Team and sustainability
representatives from Smith houses.

The culmination of the weeklong
Earth Week festivities will be an Earth Day Carnival, on
Saturday, April 21, a waste-free event on Chapin Lawn, open
to all, featuring live music, fun games, great food and related
demonstrations. (National Earth Day is Sunday, April 22.)

But first, on Wednesday and
Thursday, April 18 and 19, at noon on Seelye Lawn, students
will don Tyvek protective suits to conduct an eye-opening
sorting of trash bags sampled from various places on campus
to demonstrate how much recycled materials end up as waste
instead of going to recycling as they should.

On Wednesday, April 18, a Five
College Sustainability Symposium will take place in the Campus
Center, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, all week a display
of Earth Week messages adorns the perimeter of Seelye Lawn.
Check out the display for helpful hints about sustainability,
surprising statistics and insightful comments about environmental
responsibility and what we can all do to help preserve the
earth for healthy and enjoyable human habitation.